


Is This Your Maker’s Plan?

by thewightknight



Series: Reconcilable Differences [2]
Category: Dragon Age (Video Games), Dragon Age: Inquisition
Genre: Confessions
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-05-14
Updated: 2015-05-14
Packaged: 2018-03-30 14:16:38
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 898
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3939928
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/thewightknight/pseuds/thewightknight
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>“You know what I do for my family.”  It wasn’t a question, but Leliana nodded anyways. “Yeah, I guess what I do for my family is what you did for the Divine, except without any holy blessings.  Because the Ancestors don’t give a nug’s arse about a bunch of casteless surface dwarves, that’s for sure.”</p><p>Zaryn Cadash reflects on the events that led her to the Conclave at the Temple of Sacred Ashes.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Is This Your Maker’s Plan?

**Author's Note:**

> [Raine-Wynd](http://archiveofourown.org/users/Raine_Wynd/profile) put up a writing challenge on [her tumblr](http://rainewynd.tumblr.com/post/118909629841/fic-challenge-anyone), for 500 words or more in any fandom for a story that "must involve rain". So here's mine.

It was hard to say where the sky ended and the grey stone of Skyhold’s walls began that morning. It wasn’t one of the raging thunderstorms to which they were becoming accustomed. Instead a light but steady mist fell, and from the look of the sky it was going to continue for the entirety of the day and several more besides.

Zaryn was subdued when they met in the war room, her usual banter less frequent and more forced. They adjourned sooner than normal, and she lingered in the hallway as the advisors filed by, staring out through the arches.

Leliana hesitated, then turned back. The dwarf had never opened up to anyone since her arrival, which wasn’t surprising considering what she’d learned about her background with the Carta, but Leliana also knew from experience the look of someone who needed to unburden a guilty conscience.

It took some time before Zaryn acknowledged her presence, but finally she began to speak.

“You know what I do for my family.” It wasn’t a question, but Leliana nodded anyways. “Yeah, I guess what I do for my family is what you did for the Divine, except without any holy blessings. Because the Ancestors don’t give a nug’s arse about a bunch of casteless surface dwarves, that’s for sure.”

She sighed, paused, ran her hand through her already-tousled hair.

“One day, when it was rainin' like this, I got sent to collect from a miner family. They weren’t hittin' their quotas and hadn’t made up the difference. My uncles sent one of my cousins along. Brock was a mean fellow and I didn’t want him but they insisted.”

“It seems the oldest son’d got it into his head to make trouble. I don’t know how long he’d been trainin', but when we showed up he met us outside with the biggest axe I’d ever seen, and told us they were done, they were gonna to mine for ‘emselves now, and they had their own buyer lined up. Couldn’t let ‘em get away with it, of course. So I poked a few non-lethal but painful holes in the boy, took his axe away and told ’em if they sent in double for the next six months, we’d just forget this ever happened.” She sighed again.

“I didn’t notice that Brock wasn’t followin' me when I turned to leave. The first I realized is when the boy made a noise. You know what that noise sounds like, don’t you? That surprised gasp a body makes when you stick somethin' pointy in ‘em? I turned around, and he’d put a dagger in the boy’s chest. When I started yellin' at him, he said that I'd gotten soft and lazy, that I’d let ‘em get off too easy. He kept sayin' it as I walked back, as I took the boy’s hand and watched the life drain outta his eyes. He was still sayin' it when I stuck his knife through his eye.

“I took the boy’s axe and I cut off Brock’s head. I told the boy’s family to resume their regular payments next month. I said ‘Please.’ Can you imagine?” She shook her head, gave a hollow laugh. “I left Brock’s head sittin' there, the knife still in his eye, and lugged his headless body back. Walked right into the meetin' hall and dumped it on the ground at my uncles’ feet.

“His da was pissed, as you could imagine. I told ‘em I was right and he was wrong. I told ‘em dead men couldn’t mine, and then laid out a bunch of numbers on what he’d cost us by killin' the boy. Didn’t do it ‘cause of that, and I’m sure a couple of ‘em knew, but they kept their traps shut. One of m’uncles laid out a bunch of numbers about how much I’d cost the family killin' Brock. They’re still arguin' about it, as far as I know. They sent me off to Haven to get me out of the way in case someone decided I needed a dagger in my eye too. That’s why I was at the Conclave.”

“It was rainin' like this that day. First time I’ve seen weather like this since it happened. I’d almost managed to forget about it with all these goin's ons. But today the rain made me 'member. I’m here 'cause a boy tried to be a man and got killed for it. Was that part of your Maker’s plan?”

Leliana didn’t have any answer that the dwarf wanted to hear, so she remained silent. Zaryn laughed again, a bitter bark. “Yeah, that’s what I think too.” She shook her head. “Well, we’d better get off again. These damned Venatori won’t kill ‘emselves.” She didn’t move, though, turning instead back to the arch. “Why don’t you go along and tell folks to get ready to hit the road. I’ll be out in a few minutes.”

Leliana hesitated, then clasped Zaryn’s shoulder for a moment, squeezed once, and left. When the dwarf emerged into the Great Hall not too long afterwards, her usual cheerful mask was in place. She joined the group that had assembled in grousing about the weather, joked with Dorian about how the rain would melt his salty personality, and gave no sign whatsoever that anything had ever been troubling her. After all, it was just another rainy day.

**Author's Note:**

> I was just thinking last night that the only race I hadn't made a character for in Inquisition yet was a dwarf, so I played around in the character creator AGAIN, and then Raine posted her challenge today while she was still fresh.
> 
> Feel free to come say hi over on [tumblr](http://thewightknight.tumblr.com/).


End file.
